The first thing you have to keep in mind when it comes to the success of your post apocalyptic raider army is that people are not naturally this way. No, people want safety, security and generally peace and quiet. It's why we put up with all the idiots, radicals and extremists in the name of tolerance. And by the time that they started with the things that any sane person would decry and say was a little too far? Calling them out on it was seen as the actual crime, as you should just be a good little thing and ignore it, or praise them!

Well, the old world was over, and I needed to supply my people with food, security and a unifying narrative. You know, besides making them into amphibious monsters to plunder and ravage the cities of the deep. At the same time, while I would admit I was more of an armchair philosopher before all of this, and yet there were a few clear things. First, I was in charge of the horde. There were some things you could vote on... after you took part in a few battles as a warrior. Basically, you wanted to have a voice? You needed skin in the game.

Of course, the good thing about things? We were in a shattered archipelago, the ruins of the old world all around us, remanent mini islands all around us. Which means that we started to spread out, to expand. Most of the islands were empty, but there were survivors on others. We made them a good offer, as why not join up with us, the strongest power in the region? It was a simple thing for the most part, and soon... well, we had the first big, but important, distraction from the next series of raids.

After all, we needed to put in infrastructure, agriculture, if we were going to be more than a ravening horde. I mean sure, we were, as tentacles gripped submarines, as metal shells cracked and hosts of warriors forced their way inside, sharks jetting forward as they spewed laser beams from their mouths to crack open a few of the armored shells. Look, I was a sucker for the classics, even if some of the first wave was to isolate the nearby towers, the places that could in time decide to 'reclaim the remains of the old world' according to some documents.

And three guesses what they planned to do with the people already 'squatting in their property, taking what belonged to the proper authorities, stealing the relics of the legacy they are the rightful heirs of?' So yeah, as it was, patrols, raids and delegating others to oversee parts of the new and changed industries. Frantic and hectic, even if a lot of it was swim around, periods of boredom punctuated by carnage? That was what they did not tell you in the non-existent classes on how to barbarian. After all, it didn't matter how much the world changed.

Everyone needed to eat after all.

Justsin Fudeau

Justsin Fudeau looked over the reports from the outlying food production outposts. The outposts that were no longer there and in fact had been overrun and destroyed by the same plague that was striking at several in his sphere of influence. A part of him wondered if this was sabotage from other rivals, even if some of the evidence seemed to suggest that in fact, it was something that made him long for the days when irate truckers and farmers were his greatest headaches. At least he could strike those much more easily.

Because from what the last transmissions showed, some combination of biological and radiological factors had resulted in the mass mutation of sea life, rather than just killing off the unwashed ,masses that they didn't need to preserve as a working class, to keep the industries and cities running. If everything had gone according to plan, he did not pout, there would be a world empty of the foolish and ignorant that be reclaimed by the true rulers of the world as they rose from the sea like phenoxies when things had settled. Because the sea was supposed to be safe.

Oh sure, giant squid and sharks occasionally ate workers, but there were always more of those to replace the losses. That was expected even. But this? The first few were largely the ones that would go to feeding the workers and being late with those shipments just meant that the workers needed to tighten their belt for a little while. But the last two, that had actual defences and monitoring systems in place? Those had produced the food that would be transformed into the meals to grace the tables of the people that actually mattered. Delays there could prove troublesome.

After all, he was only the Chief Administrator for the Northern Basin Resource and Logistical Hub. And while his position was more secure than others, he could admit that he was largely just the one that made sure that the resources flowed into the approved projects of the council. He had allies yes, but he also had those that would be more than happy to replace him, or use him as an example. It had after all, been done before. Even now, years later, he shivered as he remembered the fate of Old Joe. His likely still ongoing fate. Being a puppet wasn't so bad, so long as you remembered that there were strings on you.

Even as the shiver snuck down his spine, he made the calls, cashed in some favors, made a few promises. After all, that was the name of the game, as he would turn some of the sharks loose on his problems. He might be in debt for years, but better debt than dead. Or worse, evicted from the domes and into the towers, or god forbid, the foundations. Anything else, he could recover from, but some fates were eternal.

Aqua-Matt

The last few cities had some good shit in it. But had some harder defenses that took time to crack and peel open. Sure, they fell in the end, but that's the thing. They took a while, as we shifted through the loot and records. They are aware that they are being targeted, that they are being hunted. And so they are spooked. Which is why, maps in hand, we are going to retreat, to pull back with out plunder of food and building supplies. Sure, some took the gold and silver as well, but those are not as valuable or important.

No, even if we know where the central location of this... Northern Basin is, we are not going to hit it yet. Mostly because if they are spooked, they will call for aid, tensions will rise and vigilance will be high. Which is why since we can't project the overwhelming force to take them out, we are going to retreat, recover and consolidate our gains. After all, give it a few months and they will either burn out or lower their guard, and we have supplies to last us much longer than that.

After all, there was no issue returning to friendly territory and working on beefing up your doomstack after all!